The Truths of Lies
by LadyofAngels
Summary: HBP SPoilers. Harry is prepared to end the war but his friends are acting strange and Remus is paranoid. A stranger appears and says she holds a secret that may help end the war. Harry begins his journey of discovery as he brings the darkest aspects of
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** All stand in awe of J.K. Rowling!

"_You cannot leave us to the wolves!" a man shouted. He had two young daughters clinging to his robes. There was desperation in his eyes tinged with fear. "At least protect my daughters."_

_Sirius stepped forward a bit. He did not dare come too close. "We cannot. We already suspect that there is a traitor in our midst and we cannot afford to-"_

"_To what, do you honestly believe that I am working for him? Do you believe that Tom Riddle would allow me into his service? Sirius, I thought you were ignorant but I did not believe you to be stupid."_

"_We cannot protect you Aland," Dumbledore said. He conjured up a small couch and motioned for the girls to sit down. "I am sorry but we are already stretched too thin as it is. We have our obligations."_

"_As Headmaster of Hogwarts your obligations is to protect the children of this world. You can protect us. You are just afraid to because these two are afraid. They're on the hunt for the Potters and now you do not know what to do. You want to find this traitor but you will not shelter those you know are allies. I can smell your fear. You reek of it."_

"_We are not afraid!" Sirius yelled._

"_They are after our best friend," Remus said. "What do you want us to do?"_

_Aland paced quickly back and forth. "Is sacrificing one life worth saving another?"_

"_This is war," Remus answered. "You know as well as I do that there are casualties in war. It is a truth that we cannot change. If he does kill-"_

"_What if it's not them? What if it is Longbottom's child the prophesy refers to? What will you do when they cut them down?"_

"_I have reasons to believe that they are of no interest to Lord Voldemort," Dumbledore answered._

"_You are going on guesses and speculations," Aland retorted_

"_I have my reasons."_

"_This war cannot be won with a child. Even if it is the Potter child that is said to save our world, he cannot do it alone. What do you think this child will do? Do you think he will raise an army when he is older? Do you think that he is destined to be the most powerful? I do not know what you expect of this savior but you are killing my angels. I will tell you this; your arrogance and fear will doom your friends."_

"_They are safe," Remus insisted._

"_Are they?" Aland asked in almost a sing-song tone. "I was just told that there was a traitor in your midst. Perhaps you should start looking before it is too late. Try looking at those closest to you." He casually lifted his right eye brow. "You never know who the traitor may be."_

"_That's enough!" Sirius yelled. "I will not let you stand here and insult us any more. Get out!"_

Remus pulled his head out of the Pensieve. The memory had haunted him forever. The Order received news of the attack by Greyback on the family. It occurred the same night Lily gave birth to Harry. It was strange that Greyback did not attack on a full moon. The man's body was found in a remote house. It was obvious they were trying to hide. The man was tortured to death. His daughters were never found. It was speculated by Dumbledore that they were turned into werewolves, Greyback's M.O. It would be a fearful night when Greyback does turn them loose upon their world. They would be starving for revenge and their minds warped by Greyback. The werewolves would gain the upper hand.

Remus had searched for them amongst the werewolves. He had listened for whispers about them but there were none. It was the best kept secret amongst his fellow man. Greyback must have kept them under lock and key for protection of his prizes. Only the light of the full moon will reveal them one day. He feared every full moon. Only those who welcomed it were to be feared to the contrary of what several wizards would want to believe. That number was growing increasingly faster every month. He knew the werewolf army was growing beyond measure. Now, like Sirius, he was confined in hiding. McGonagall had set him up in Hogwarts for the time being. Arrangements would be made at the beginning of the school year. He could not return to the normal world until the end of the war. Greyback knew he was a spy now. His chance to find Aland's daughters was gone and now their fate would forever be a mystery until they struck.

The war was growing and their world was about to implode upon itself. Dumbledore was gone, killed by his trusted spy. Their fate was a mystery now. No one knew how much information Snape passed onto them that was true. Their real fear was how much he passed onto his Dark Lord. He had always tried to keep from referring to Harry as the Chosen One but their world was in desperate need of a savior. People in their community were losing faith and fear was running rampant through the streets. Aland was right so many years ago. Fear is what drives people. Fear drove him and Sirius to have Dumbledore turn them away. Remus now realized that Aland may have been the only one who could have saved James and Lily.

Remus began to pace the floor. He was beginning to become lost in his self-pity and guilt when an owl flew into his window. It perched on a chair. It stared at Remus and Remus stared back at the owl. The owl was unfamiliar to him. Remus took a closer look at it. He did not recognize it as a regular Hogwarts owl. It was white like Harry's but the markings were different. This owl had many more black feathers patterned across its body. He studied it a while longer until the owl grew impatient and started to stick its leg out to him and screeching. Remus untied the rolled message and the owl flew out the window. It did not wait to for Remus' response.

"Strange," he said to himself. He unrolled the piece of parchment and found that it was blank. However, there was something else inside of it. He then unrolled it and found that it was a picture. He looked into the face of the man who was turned away so many years ago. He was smiling and holding two young girls. They were both smiling and waving excitedly at the camera. "What does this mean?" Remus asked himself. As the words left his mouth, the picture began to catch fire right next to Aland's head. He dropped it and watched it burn to ashes. The child on the right was the last thing he could recognize. A chill ran up his back. They were alive.

His mind spiraled into a frenzy of conclusions. The fact that they were alive meant only one thing; they were with Greyback. Greyback was the only one who could have saved them. There was no trace of a struggle besides around the body of Aland. The Aurors declared the girls missing. It was his worst fear. Remus paced the room even more furiously now. He had to find out who owned that owl. White owls in Britain were rare and had to be bought from Diagon Alley unless it was a foreign wizard. Even then it would be difficult to track down even if the owl did come from outside of the islands. The owl was irrelevant. There was no means of tracking its origins. There was only one thing clear about this message.

"Revenge," Remus said quietly. His end was coming. He was the last Marauder. He no longer considered Wormtail one. He knew Wormtail would meet his end. Remus was almost certain that this was how he would meet his end. He began to think if he would beg for his life just on his knees in front of them. It was an unpleasant thought. He would never beg. He would be a man and fight to the end. There was no other choice.

"Remus," McGonagall said poking her head into her office. "It's time to go. We promised we would be there to help set up."

"Very well Headmistress."

"Please do not call me Headmistress now," she said. "Minerva will do until the start of term," she smiled. "What's that?"

Remus looked down at the pile of ashes. A small clump fell over from the top like a tiny avalanche. "Just an old love letter I didn't want Tonks to find," he lied.

"I'll find out what it truly was," McGonagall sighed. She lifted the ashes from the ground and directed them lazily with her wand into an opened jar on her desk. "I do have witnesses."

Remus looked around and saw several of the former Headmasters and Headmistresses pretending to sleep. Dumbledore was one of the sleeping. He snored softly with his half-moon spectacle resting on his nose. He wondered if Dumbledore was really asleep.

McGonagall picked up a couple of wrapped packages sitting on her desk. "Come Remus. We can walk down to Rosmerta's and floo to the Weasley's home from there."

Remus grabbed his tattered cloak off the back of a chair and slung it over his shoulder. McGonagall held the door open for him. They walked silently through the castle and down the path leading to the Three Broom Sticks. Poor Rosmerta was assaulted by Ministry officials. They were able to put her straight and help her through the trauma of what she was forced to do. He did hope that she would attend the wedding but he doubted it.

It was still strange to him that they were attending a wedding. He did not know if it was because of the war or because the groom was attacked. It had been almost a month since the attack on Hogwarts but the scars still showed on everyone. He knew it would be a beautiful wedding. Molly Weasley wouldn't have it any other way. She would beat anyone who cried any tear of sorrow and weep loudly with those who had tears of joy. That's what he loved about that woman. She had seven children with more than enough love for a daughter-in-law, Harry, and Hermione.

When they arrived in the Three Broom Sticks, she was quiet and withdrawn. She was busy wiping down tables and picking up empty glasses. McGonagall called out to her and she waved but that was it. Remus heard someone mutter about how unfortunate she was. They helped themselves to the Floo Powder and left without a word.

Notes: I apologize for the some what vague beginning. Please be kind, this is the first attempt of an accounting major...eek!


	2. Chapter 2

The Burrow was bustling with people running in and out constantly. The wedding was planned to start that evening around dusk which should have given them plenty of time to set up everything from the chairs to the cake. Towards the end of an exhausting day, Harry found himself tying bows on each chair that sat along the inside aisle. Even though he was a wizard, he was still not yet 17 and had the natural ability of a young man in tying bows. He mumbled a few choice words as he finished his third bow in a half hour span. He looked up and down the rows and sighed. It would take him forever to finish the bows. The thought of him ushering guests to their seats and sticking a bow on the aisle at the same time was a bit amusing. He looked around desperately for help. Almost all of the Weasleys were getting dressed for the wedding. Hermione had promised him that once he finished all of the bows he would be done. That was if he ever finished. The idea of him ushering people in nothing but his T-shirt and jeans also passed his mind.

"We are in the middle of a war and here I am tying blue bows," Harry muttered. "If Voldemort could only see me now-"

"He would probably be too amused with it."

Harry looked up and found Remus sitting two rows back from him. He was already dressed for the wedding in a fine set of black dress robes. There was nothing tattered about him today.

"What's with the bright, green lining?" Harry asked.

Remus folded his robes over to hide the lining. "Tonks picked them out for me. You know her taste in clothing."

"Could you give me a hand with this?" Harry asked. "I can't tie a bow if my life depended on it and this will take me all day unless I get a bit of help."

"Sure," Remus replied. He waved his wand and in a few short seconds there was a perfect bow on every chair. "Please don't tell anyone about that particular talent. It would not look very masculine to hear about a werewolf who can tie bows."

"Your secret is safe with me."

Remus offered a weak smile. He tapped his foot lightly on the chair in front of him. Harry watched him closely. He looked like he was looking around for someone or something. There was a distant look behind his eyes.

"Are you ok?" Harry asked.

Remus looked back at him. "It's a wedding Harry. Of course I'm alright."

"Are you worried about Bill?"

"Bill has already been through his first full moon. Nothing happened to him. He'll be fine."

They had a moment of uneasy silence. This was becoming more frequent. With Sirius and Dumbledore gone, it seemed no one knew how to talk to Harry any more. Harry tried to not distance people. He trusted in Dumbledore's judgment still and kept his advice close to heart. He wanted to keep his friends close. He feared distancing them since they were everything to him. Harry had finally accepted that he cannot control their fates. Dumbledore tried to explain this to him a long time ago. No one can choose your fate and he knew that they had chosen theirs. He needed them with him while he finished his task. It was the only way that he could finish it.

"Thank you," Harry said quietly. "I guess I better get ready before the guests arrive."

"Yes you better. I do not know who is more prone to hurt you if you are not, the bride or Hermione."

Hermione had become a handful. Everyone remarked about how calm Fleur had been during the final stages of planning the wedding, especially with the attack on her future husband. The truth was that Hermione was frantic enough to cover the stress level reached by the bride and the two mothers. Harry had found himself hiding in the Quiddich pitch with Ron and his brothers when Hermione was on her planning rampage. Fleur had the only advantage. She seemed more calm and put together now after the night on the tower. In the one moment when she thought she would lose Bill, she, in Harry's opinion, became a true woman. She grieved for her beloved.

Harry walked back into the Burrow to find the dress robes that Mrs. Weasley had picked up for him to wear. There were three ushers in this whirlwind wedding. Harry was one of them and two of Fleur's cousins, Pierre and Rudolph de Villapine. They seemed nice enough but it was very evident that they did not come from the Veela side of the familiy. Both of them with had dark complexions and black hair. Actually, Harry was not quite sure how they were related. Her mother was half-Veela while her father had the lighter, Parisian look to him. Harry decided not to dwell on it too long.

"Psst...Harry," Pierre almost whispered at him from behind a bush next to the house. "Over here quick before your friend shows up."

It was also strange that they both spoke impeccable English. Harry sidled over looking for Hermione. "What?" he hissed.

The Villapine brothers were almost as bad as the twins. They spent most of their time hiding from Hermione and the rest of their relatives with Harry and Ron. Pierre was one year older than them and Rudolph was one year younger. The Villapine brothers appeared to be rather close to their female Delacour cousins. Whenever they were not hiding, Pierre and Rudolph were usually seen making jokes with the sisters and causing the usual ruckus that two teenage boys could cause.

"Will Bill's, what do they call him?" Pierre mumbled.

"Prat?" Rudolph finished.

"Percy?" Harry asked confused.

"Yes, will Percy be here at the wedding?" Pierre asked.

"Mr. Weasley and Bill decided it would be easier on Mrs. Weasley if he doesn't come to the wedding. They want to avoid anything too disruptive."

"Come here," Rudolph motioned. "We got something for the bride and groom. We hope that there won't be too many Ministry officials here besides Mr. Weasley."

Harry rounded the corner and saw something quite large leaning against the side of the house. It was covered with a large, blue tarp. "What is that?"

Rudolph pulled the tarp off. Beneath it was a rolled up carpet tied tightly with three pieces of white ribbon. Harry almost laughted with he saw the card. It read "De les Lutins" with two gargoyles dressed in tuxedoes holding plates of cake and toasting each other. "That is definately illegal."

"We went to the Middle East on holiday right before we came here," he explained. "We thought it would be nice for them to fly away on a carpet rather than trying to fit both of them on a broom."

Harry could not help from grinning ear to ear. He was not really keen on discluding Percy from the wedding but he was exceptionally glad that he was. The rug was beautiful. "You do realize they can only use it once."

"It's a loaner," Pierre teased.

"They can just put it in the house under a heavy table and pull it out on special occasions if they want to," Rudolph said.

"Harry! Pierre! Rudolph!" someone screamed from inside.

"Which one was that?" Pierre asked.

"That would be Hermione," Harry groaned. "I believe she has figured out we are not ready yet and the photographer is due here in half an hour."

"C'est merde," Pierre grumbled.

"Where are you?" she yelled. She was coming from the broom shed. They quickly slipped into the house and up to Ron's room. Ron was laying on his back aready dressed in his robes looking quite distressed.

"I heard her calling for you. She's been here looking for you guys," he almost squeaked. "I don't know if I can take this much longer. Bill and Fleur had best have a wonderful marriage or I'm taking their first born in revenge for this madness. You three better hurry up before she returns."

"Where is everyone else?" Harry asked him

"Hiding from her. Fleur and all of the bridesmaids locked themselves in Mum and Dad's room. Ginny even threatened her if she barged in again. I do have to say, she is usually bad but this is a whole new level. We thought she was bad during the O.W.L.s."

The ushers quickly pulled on their robes. It was not as quickly as they had hoped. Pierre ended up with Harry's shirt and Rudolph could not find his pants. Ron had to slip out and found them hanging from Fred and George's window. They had thought they belonged to Harry. Like clockwork, as soon as everyone was dressed, Hermione burst through the door. She was already dressed in a light green dress. Her hair was pulled back at the nape of her neck most assuredly to tame it.

"You could at least knock," Ron scoffed.

"Stop being a prat," she said curtly. "The photographer is ready for the guys. He's just finished with Fleur and the bridesmaids."

Off they went to take pictures. Harry did nto remember much about that day until it came to the reception. He smiled for what seemed to be hours. By the time pictures were finished his face was fixed in a permanent smile. To make things worst, he had to seat every other woman who attended and he had to endure the usual "Chosen One" greeting from all of the guests. Before Harry knew it, he was elbow to elbow with the the de Villapines watching the bridesmaids lightly prance down the aisle in teal dresses. It was almost one, two, three and "Now you may kiss the bride" . It was a beautiful kiss. That was about all he remembered. Harry felt bad he did not remember much about it. The only thing he really knew that it was touching and Rudolph said he saw a tear run down Harry's cheek which he doubted was true. Harry wondered if all weddings were like this. It seemed like a lot of trouble for something that you won't remember. That was what the photographer was for.

Amongst the confusion and mayhem, Harry eventually found himself sitting at a table with Ron. They were both exhausted. There food sat almost untouched on their plates.

"How are you doing Harry?" Ron groaned.

"My face hurts from smiling. Your Aunt Muriel took skin with her when she pinched my cheeks."

"Yeah, welcome to the family."

Harry tried to relax and watch all of the guests mingle. Remus was not mingling. Remus was sitting alone tapping his fingers on the table. He looked deep in thought. He didn't even seem to notice Tonks was talking lividly with one of the bridesmaids. Harry kept looking around to keep from going asleep due to exhaustion. He found the twins and de Villapine brothers plotting near the blue tarp. Bill, Charlie, and Mr. Weasley were finishing up a few last pictures with the photographers. They all looked ruffled from the frenzy of the day. Fleur was still very elegant in her white dress. Her long neck was extintuated by the deep, plunging back and simple embroidery. The goblin made tiarra was beautifully perched on her head. Harry thought of Beauty and the Beast when he saw them stand next to each other. He began to slowly remember the events of the wedding. He remembered their vows and exchange of rings and the kiss. He wished he could remain lost in the wedding but war could not be kept at bay forever. The white dresses and flowers could not keep the world out. He knew that he had to eventually keep the promise he made to Dumbledore before his death.

"Are you ready to go tomorrow?" Harry asked casually to Ron.

"We have to wait until the day after," Ron almost yawned. "Dad's got us appointments to take our Apparition exams tomorrow morning at the Ministry."

"I won't be 17 yet."

"He pulled some-well, let me make that several strings. Several people owed him favors and you have quite a following in the lower departments." Ron started to rub his arms. Harry wondered if the scars on his arms were bothering him in some way. He wanted to know if there was any irritation or lasting effects that he would have to carry from the brain that attacked him. Harry did not remember Ron complaining about them or even looking like the brain left any irritation. Ron looked up and saw Harry watching him. He shrugged. "Don't worry about it. My scars don't do anything like yours."

"That's comforting," Harry snorted. "What's wrong with them?"

"It's nothing so stop worrying." He rubbed at them for another moment. "Now I know how you feel when Hermione nags you."

"And I will nag you until you give me an answer of some sort. You're not playing by the rules that Hermione has made Ron."

"I already told you. My scars do not bother me anywhere near like yours. In fact, you can barely see them. They just hurt sometimes like a bad sore that doesn't want to heal."

"How long?"

"I don't know," Ron answered sounding irritated. "It's one of those things that you just learn to live with like an insistent rash on your rump."

"So you are saying that they have never stopped bothering you."

"Will you lay off? They don't bother me all the time, alright."

"What if something is seriously wrong with them?"

Hermione fell into a chair next to Ron. "I see the wedding planner is out of steam," Ron remarked dryly dropping the conversation with Harry.

"Shut up Ronald," she retorted. "It's not easy planning a wedding."

"You only coordinated the last few days."

"It is still stressful. You have to make sure everything is ordered and ready along with the decorations, food, setup, and anything else that was forgotten during planning," she said. She took a few sips out of her cup. "You two haven't even walked around and mingled."

"My reputation does that enough for me," Harry muttered. "Everyone already knows who I am without an introduction."

"I'm here to keep him company while his reputation is out and about."

"You two are hopeless. Fleur's bridesmaids are very nice, especially her friend from her school, Giselle."

Harry looked over at Remus again trying to ignore Hermione. Remus seemed agitated now.

"Everybody!" Bill yelled. He was standing up in a chair. "Before everyone gets too comfortable and too dissheveled, my wife and I would like everyone to get together for a group picture."

"Not another picture," Ron moaned.

"Oh come on," Hermione said grabbing his hand and pulling him to where everyone was gathering.

Harry pretended to wipe his mouth and sidled over to Remus. Remus was still sitting beside himself tapping his fingers on the white table cloth.

"Now Harry you can't escape..."

"If we all have to be in this picture..."

"You have to be in it too..."

Fred and George caught him on each side and drug him backwards towards the photographer.

"I wasn't trying to get away."

"You can't fool us..."

"We know how you are."

"Will you two let go and go drag Remus over here then?"

"Remus, what's wrong with Remus?" Fred asked.

"I don't know," Harry replied.

"No matter," George said. "It appears Tonks' got him. She's dragging him along."

Harry looked up again and saw Tonks trying to drag Remus along. He did not look upset or disturbed about it. Harry could tell that he was trying to play off the fact he was too comfortable to get up. There was a tinge of irritation and disappointment in his expression. It was very evident that he did not want to go. Tonks finally succeeded in pulling him off his rump and shoved him in the middle of the crowd right behind Harry.

"Nice of you to join us," Harry said.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world."

The rest of the reception was nothing but forced socialization. Aunt Muriel forced every Weasley boy to have a turn with her on the dance floor. Harry tried to escape it but Hermione drug him out. It was alright until he caught Ron and George imitating them, or maybe it was Fred and Aunt Muriel they were imitating. It did not matter. Harry tried to keep his distance from Ginny while he danced. The funeral ran through his mind as he danced with Hermione. He wanted to dance with Ginny but he knew it would be cruel. It was not until he was sitting with Ron that he felt the first twinge of jealousy since they broke up. He caught Ginny and Rudolph dancing together. Perhaps he deserved it for breaking up with her, but it was for her protection. This was something no one could deny.

His spirits lifted a bit when Ron stepped on the dance floor with Ginny. They were siblings but it was fun to watch them bump into everyone else who were dancing. It was fun to watch until Ron stepped aside to allow Rudolph to dance with her again. Harry twisted a napkin furiously under the table. She was smiling and laughing with him. He twirled her and dipped her. Harry watched in envy as she danced happily with another person that wasn't him. It was enough for him to endure watching her dance with him the first time but now she was dancing with him again. She chose to dance with him twice. He did not want to admit it but it appeared that she had moved on. He still pined over her in his own private mind but she appeared that she never dated Harry and that Harry had never graced her heart. It was his worst nightmare that he never considered.

"Why did you let him dance with her?" Harry asked trying not to sound irritated when Ron sat back down at their table.

"You weren't going to dance with her," Ron replied. "It's rude to make a girl dance with her own brother."

"She's already danced with him once tonight."

"Are you keeping count on my sister's dance partners? Look around Harry. Everyone is dancing and having fun. He asked if he could dance with her again and she wanted to so I stepped aside. What else was I going to do? Did you want me to defend your honor? If you want to dance with her ask her yourself."

Harry tapped his foot impatiently. He wanted to barge in and claim her for the rest of the night. So, he sat at the table for the rest of the night feeling left behind. He watched everyone else dance and the small antics that are prone to happen at a wedding. Hagrid and Madame Maxime knocked a couple of tables over while they were dancing. Thank goodnessly he left Grawp at Hogwarts under the care of Firenze. There would not be anything left of the Burrow if Grawp was to become out of control. There was also a small argument between Charlie and one of the bridesmaids which culminated into Pierre literally picking her up and carrying her away. Bill had to drag Charlie away as well and sat him down with their aunt. He couldn't hear what it was about but by all categories of argumetns, it was on its way to eruption. Ron and Hermione did manage to dance at least once that night. It did appear that they were enjoying themselves besides Fred and George bumping into them the entire time.

Besides Harry sitting alone and ignoring Ron and Ginny, the night went rather well. It was a beautiful reception by comparison of no other wedding that Harry had attended. The night had to end and it ended spectacularly with the bride and groom riding away on their magic carpet. Fleur threw her bouquet over her right shoulder as they flew away and was caught by Charlie by accident. It was such a beautiful sight that Harry did not believe anyone would report the carpet to the Ministry.

Then it was all over. It was back to the real world. They returned to fear, war, and party cleanup. Hermione took all of her remaining energy to help organize the clean up. Ron and Harry were set to work clearing the tables with Remus. It was getting late and almost all of the guests were gone. The twins had already slipped away back to their London flat without a word.

"Hedwig and Pig are probably getting restless," Ron said.

"I just let them out," Ginny said. She had gone up to the house to quickly change out of her dress. "They were both quite irritated and I didn't think it would hurt anything if I went ahead and let them out."

"Thanks Ginny," Ron groaned when he saw a plate with cake, butterbeer, and something that looked like syrup all mixed together. "Who would eat this?"

"Don't complain," Remus muttered from the table next to them. "I'm sure I don't want to know what this is." Remus held up a plate with black goo plastered all over it. "I don't think there is any magic in the world to save this poor thing," he laughed. Remus then sunk into a chair. He looked exhausted. Harry watched fiddle with his thumbs and watch the stars.

"Hey!" Hermione yelled. "I need one of you to come over here."

"Good luck," Ginny and Ron muttered. They were too busy trying to avoid eye contact with Hermione that they did not bother to look up when she yelled at their general direction. They were quite content working at their own pace.

"I'll go," Harry muttered back. He started walking over to where Hermione stood looking quite irritated. He looked up and caught a glimpse of Pig flying over head. Hedwig must have gotten tired of the overactive smaller owl and flew on without him. Harry began to wish that he could fly away from the war. He wanted to fly away where he could be safe from losing everyone he loved. The fact that he could lose everyone in one failed swoop weighed even heavier on him because of Dumbledore's death. Everyone believed that Dumbledore was untouchable and now he was buried on Hogwarts' grounds. "What do you need?" Harry yelled at Hermione when he was a bit closer.

"I need-"

"GET AWAY! GET AWAY!"

Everyone stopped. Harry's heart was sprinting. Remus was throwing plates and screaming. Hedwig was sitting on a tree dodging the projectiles thrown at her. Harry ran over to them. Remus was throwing random curses everywhere. He set a table on fire that McGonagall quickly mended. Mr. Weasley, Charlie, and Ron all grabbed Remus and pulled him down to the ground. He was still screaming and slowly succumbing to a mental melt down. Harry called for Hedwig and directed her back into the Burrow.

"Remus, what is wrong?" Mr. Weasley asked when they finally forced him flat to the ground with his elbow in Remus' back. Remus did not answer coherently. He was in tears now. "Remus, please tell us what is wrong. We cannot help you unless you tell us."

There was spit at the corners of his mouth. Remus tried to push them off his back. He sent a couple of Stunners his shoulder that missed. They all tried to hold onto their wands while still trying to grab his but he was too much for them. Every time one of them moved for a wand he would take advantage of it and almost slip from them. Harry came up behind them and took hold of his legs to try to at least help control him.

"Someone grab his wand!" Charlie yelled.

It was useless. Everytime someone got near enough to try to grab it Remus would shoot some kind of spell at them. No one could stun him out of fear of hitting someone trying to restrain him. Harry kept his position holding onto his legs. He was being kicked in the chest and arms but he refused to let go.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" Remus cried out. It was more of a wail than anything.

Harry noticed that he was moving less now. He was beginning to wear. Remus began to breathe easier. McGonagall ran up and yanked his wand from behind before he relapsed into his manic state.

Tonks came over and knelt beside him. "Remus, please calm down," she pleaded.

He did not answer. He stopped struggling, he stopped crying, he stopped everything. He stared blankly through everyone and everything. His eyes slowly closed and he fell asleep.

Note: If you want to know why I made the wedding so short is to illustrate that you really do forget what happened at your own wedding so quickly. You tend to remember the before and after but not the ceremony. I will always remember the events leading up to it as well as who caught my bouquet. I just thought it would be funny to show it through a guest's eyes.


	3. Chapter 3

"Ron! Harry! Get up!" Mr. Weasley called from the kitchen.

They were both already dressed. Ron could not sit still for more than a moment. This was his last chance after the missing eyebrow mistake. He knew the consequences only too well. The rules and dictions of their world were beat into him as a child along with the insecurities and humiliations of the youngest boy. Harry tried to be distracted by him from his current state of worry over Remus.

"You two better hurry up!" Mrs. Weasley yelled.

Harry and Ron trudged down to the kitchen. Anyone would have thought they were on their way to their deaths. Toast was set out on the table as their last meals. It was only Harry, Ron, and Ron's parents sitting around the table sipping tea quietly. Not a word was said about the previous night's events. Harry wanted to ask them where they sent Remus. Once he had passed out, Tonks and McGonagall asked Madame Maxime to send for her carriage so they could return to Hogwarts. Nothing else was known what happened to him.

"Pass me the sugar please," Mr. Weasley said quietly.

Ron passed him the bowl and spread a bit more butter on another piece of toast. A few more cups of tea and a couple more pieces of toast past and it was time to go. Mr. Weasley thought it would be easier to just grab each boy by the elbow and Apparate all of them to the Ministry at once. They both were able to do so, just not legally. They appeared in the small ally that was coldly familiar to them. Mr. Weasley shoved all of them into the telephone booth and dialed 6-2-4-4-2. They followed through all of the security and formalities. The atmosphere was colder than before. Harry could see the fear in everyone's eyes knowing that it was their own Ministry that failed to recognize the threat earlier. Everyone knew that today could be their last and it sickened Harry to think they all relied on him.

"Level 6."

They all walked to the service lift and piled in with several other witches and wizards. There were several paper airplanes looming overhead as they all waited for their respective stops. Mr. Weasley finally maneuvered them all out of the lift and headed down the hall to the Apparition Test Center. Several people looked up and stared as they all walked through the office and past the cubicles. Harry began to get the sensation of being amongst gophers as he walked by with everyone's heads sticking out of the top of their own cubicle. They finally came to a door with "Apparition Test Center" on the front of the door. Mr. Weasley pushed the door open to reveal two old witches bent over their desks going through files almost stacked to the ceiling.

"Good morning," Mr. Weasley said cordially.

"Good morning," they both said in dry, irritable voices.

They scratched away at their papers for another moment. The one on the left with the name plate "Wanda Burnstein" appeared to be in her fifties with graying hair and a small wart forming on her middle knuckle of her left hand. She rubbed her eyes several times and covered her mouth when she yawned. Harry looked beyond their desks and saw there was a second door that led further back into their department.

"Mrs. Blackburn will be with your shortly," Wanda said.

She did not offer them a seat. They had to stand and wait. Luckily, Mrs. Blackburn came out quite quickly. Harry recognized her as one of the witches who came to teach them Apparition at Hogwarts. She appeared pleasant enough and quite courteous to those who did splint a limb.

"Good morning Arthur," she said smiling and shaking his hand.

"Good morning Bonny," he replied. "This is Harry and Ron."

"Yes, I remember Ron. He ended up leaving an eyebrow behind on his last exam. I do say it is hard to find a red eyebrow." Ron made a crooked smile at that. "And I see that you've gotten it fixed, that's wonderful. You must be Harry Potter. I am glad to make your acquaintance. Now, may we get started?"

"I'll be in my office when you two are finished," Mr. Weasley said leaving them behind.

Mrs. Blackburn then pulled two chairs out of her own office and put them to work at filling out some paperwork under the close supervision of the secretaries who were not happy at all to be there. Once they were finished, she took Ron into her office. Harry sat with Wanda while the second secretary, Sanda, went to get more tea. He twiddled his thumbs for sometime before he heard two consecutive POPS from the other side of the door. He watched Wanda and Sanda work through the mountain of files. It appeared to be slow and meticulous work and at the same time useless. Harry did not dwell on their occupation for too long. It was not long until he heard them return with a very pleased Ron walking through the door both eyebrows and all four limbs.

"How did you do?" Harry whispered.

"She had me follow her to the front step of Fred and George's shop. It was really easy since I was determined to wave at them as we left. It was great," he squeaked. "You should have seen their faces. They were so convinced that I wouldn't pass my exam and I would be doomed to a life of the Floo Network."

"Harry," Mrs. Blackburn called to him holding his paperwork.

"Good luck," Ron said.

Harry walked into her office and closed the door behind him. She was sitting at her desk filling in a few lines that were marked "Office Use Only".

"I see you will not be 17 until the end of July," she said.

Harry was surprised she needed to look at his paperwork to know that. It seemed that everyone in their world knew when he was born. He thought it was common knowledge by then. "Yes mem," he answered.

"Oh well," she said. "We license several who are not 17 during the spring. We usually have a set month for this later in the summer. That is why Wanda and Sanda are so backed up right now. They are still trying to get through everyone who passed and failed in the spring along with a few other violations that's happened recently."

"Violations?"

"We have a few people who Apparate without their license and then there are a few other cases of splinting that we have to look into, nothing too serious." She marked a few more boxes on Harry's paper. "Are you ready?"

"I suppose so," Harry answered. He knew that he could Apparate. It was the fact that he didn't entirely enjoy dong it.

"Ok, I am going to Apparate to the front door step of Flourish and Blotts. Do you know where that is?" she asked. Harry nodded. "Once I am gone, I need for you to wait five seconds before you follow me."

"I thought in the spring you have them Apparate from one end of Hogsmeade to another."

"We do but because this is a specially scheduled test we did not have time to prepare for a course like we had in the spring or later in the summer. You'll have to do long distances eventually though. Luckily Diagon Alley is not far from here."

Harry had Apparated from further distances but he did not understand why there would be a change for short notice. He wondered if it was another conspiracy against him by the Ministry but quickly disregarded it. He was being paranoid and he had to stop before it took too much control over him.

"Are you ready?" she asked him. Harry nodded silently once again. "Ok, remember, please wait five seconds."

She was gone in a POP. Harry counted to five. One 1,000, two 1,000, three 1,000, four 1,000 five 1,000 before he thought of the sign to Flourish and Blotts. He thought about the first time he met Lucius Malfoy and when he planted Tom Riddle's diary in Ginny cauldron. . He remembered his meeting with Gilderoy Lockhart who is now locked away in St. Mungo's. His determination grew as he thought about everything in his life. He made it his task and without being licensed he could not…

POP

Harry looked around. People were bustling around him carrying large packages and bags from shop to shop. He looked behind him and saw a sign that read "Flourish and Blotts". He made it. He checked all four limbs, eyebrows, glasses, and even ears. Everything was intact.

"Harry!" Mrs. Blackburn called to him from the doorway of the store. He walked over to where she stood. "If you want to know the truth why I've been having you two Apparate to Diagon Alley is so I could get a few errands done." She gave him a devious smile. "I picked up a gift for my brother at the joke shop and I need to pick up a book here real quick."

"Here's your book Mrs. Blackburn."

"Oh, thank you, that was fast. Ok, with that done, we can be on our way."

"Excuse me," a young woman said bumping into Mrs. Blackburn and Harry as she quickly left the bookstore.

"That's quite alright," Mrs. Blackburn said to her back. "Ok Harry, do you think you can find my office from here?"

"I believe I can," he answered.

POP

Harry took a quick glance around. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. He noticed that Florean's and Ollivander's stores were still boarded up. There was no telling where they were now. He worried about the twins being in Diagon Alley. They were openly allied with Harry and it was even more dangerous since they were secretly manufacturing items for the Ministry. After another moment, Harry Apparated back to the Ministry.

"Congratulations Harry Potter," Mrs. Blackburn said. "You are officially licensed to Apparate. You and Ron can go find Arthur now if you like. I'll finish a few more things with your applications and then I am sure Wanda and Sanda will graciously take the rest from here."

Harry smiled at the thought. He thanked her for her time and exited her office to find Ron sitting quietly with the two secretaries. It was very quiet in the front office. Harry motioned his head to the door and Ron got up and followed him out to not disturb the silence. They found the lift and went to Level 2.

"Where did you end up going?" Ron asked.

"Flourish and Blotts," Harry answered. "She said she was running errands during our tests."

"I know," Ron said. "She ordered a cracker from my brothers and they said they would owl deliver it to her brother."

The doors opened to Level 2. They wove through the Aurors and found Mr. Weasley squeezed into his office. His new office was much larger now that he had a promotion. It seemed just as small since he was squeezed into it with a multitude of files and boxes.

"Is it always this busy on a Sunday?" Harry asked.

"It is on this level," Mr. Weasley answered grabbing his cloak. "Bonny's secretaries are usually here six days a week during the summer to finish up with the spring and summer. They usually end up getting around a month of vacation during the fall and winter though. It's not too bad of a spot to work."

"How exactly did you get us a Sunday test day?" Harry asked. His curiosity had been about to explode all day.

"I had to create a favor from her by pulling a few other people's favors. It's just office politics. Don't worry about it too long. I owe nothing to her and she owes nothing to me now. Come on you two, it's time to get home now. I am sure that your mother's not going to let you two go without one last meal," Mr. Weasley said as they made their way to the lift. "Do you two feel like Apparating back to the Burrow?"

"Sure," they both said.

They went back to the security desk and retrieved their wands. Mr. Weasley made sure everything was in order before he disappeared. Ron followed him next then Harry. Harry ended up turning up at the end of their drive near the broom shed. He could see Ron up towards the house looking for him. Harry thought about trying to Apparate again but decided against it and ran up the path before they thought anything too serious had happened.

"What time is it?" Harry asked.

"It's only about 10:00," Ron said.

"Do you think-"

"Don't even think of it Harry James Potter." Mrs. Weasley was standing in the door with a scowl on her face. It was possibly the first time that she ever looked that displeased with him. "Moody has arranged for you three to have an escort to your relatives' home and then, because you insist, you will be left alone. However, I am not letting you out of this house until tomorrow morning when you can at least have five more round meals."

"Five?" Harry asked Ron quietly.

"Lunch, dunch, dinner, breakfast, and she'll probably pack us a meal to take with us."

"Dunch?"

"She's been planning a send off party for awhile in combination with your birthday. It probably won't be until a lot later tonight. She thinks she won't see you for your birthday and so she's planned your birthday party already. She'll probably fix something else to hold everyone over until the party."

"Is your mum…?"

"Mental?"

"I was going to use the word distraught."

"She's a little of both right now. She's worried about everyone these days. Charlie went back to Romania before we left and Bill and Fleur are honeymooning in Italy. We're leaving tomorrow and then the twins are rarely around anymore and you know how Percy is. That will leave just Ginny here with her. Her family is spreading out and she doesn't know how to deal with it."

Harry stared at Ron for a long time with his mouth slightly opened. Ron did not seem to notice at first. He sat down at the kitchen table and let Pig perch on his shoulder. "What?" Ron asked when Harry had yet to blink in a full minute.

"Did you memorize that or something? Did Hermione say that earlier when I wasn't around or listening and you just happened to remember it word for word? Ron, am I missing something here?"

"Missing what?"

Hermione appeared in the doorway of the kitchen with Crookshanks in her arms. "That you are exemplifying an emotional span larger than a teaspoon," she said in her usual wiser-than-all tone.

"Why thank you little-miss-know-it-all," Ron almost growled. "It is always nice to be reminded of that fact. Now, I believe I have to degnome the garden one last time." He stood up and stormed out of the house.

Harry sat quietly alone at the table. Hermione was leaning against the wall cradling Crookshanks. He debated whether or not to come to Ron's defense. He knew that it would inevitably end in everyone not talking to each other for the rest of the day since Hermione will see it as Harry taking Ron's side and Ron will just not talk.

"I do not understand him," Hermione muttered taking the initiative so Harry wouldn't have to. "I meant it as a compliment."

Harry was so shocked to hear what she said he let his head crash down on the table. He let his head rest there for several seconds until he looked back up at her. She was serious about what she said. Perhaps that was what made Harry have the look of pure disbelief across his face. "That's impossible."

"I did," she insisted.

"Hermione, for once consider that maybe you have the emotional span of a teaspoon, at least for this moment."

"You boys always stick together," she said cooly and stormed away.

"That's why you keep your mouth shut," Harry said to himself. Harry sat at the table for awhile longer thinking of what he should do next. He was not sure if he should go apologize to Hermione or assist Ron in the garden. Ron would probably understand more since it was manual labor that he was performing and Hermione may understand since it was garden work that Harry was assisting Ron in. The politics of friends never bothered him until they decided to go on a life threatening journey with him. They were always protected withing the walls of Hogwarts but now they were going to be exposed to everything around them.

"A horse walked into a bar and the bartender asked, 'Why the long face?'" a voice said behind him.

Harry turned around and saw Charlie standing in the doorway. "I thought you already left."

"I've been placed on a long vacation. I've accumilated too much vacation time, at least that is according to my supervisor. I am home until the holidays."

"You do know no one in your family is good at lying to me."

Charlie smiled weakly. "Everyone knows you three are leaving. Mum is worried sick about everyone now because of the war and so I told Dad that I would stick around to keep her company and to help a bit around the house. Dad is worried too with Mum being home alone a lot of the time now. So, now that I have told you why I am still here, what's wrong with you?"

"Ron and Hermione are at it again. I usually try to stay out of it when they are. It's usually the safest way to handle things."

"That has to be fun. How often do they get into these fights?"

"Enough for me to know to keep my mouth shut. They'll cool down in a bit and everything will be normal. It has almost become a routine."

"Good luck with them then. I have to run to Diagon Alley for a bit. Mum has sent me to pick up a few things for her. I'll be back in an hour or two. Have fun."

"Bye," Harry said. He watched Charlie walk out the door and then disappear. The day would be a long day. He had two feuding friends, an upcoming party, and things to pack. Packing, Harry almost forgot about it. It was the perfect way to stay out of the feud. He headed up to Ron's room and started grabbing socks, cloaks, clothes, and other miscellaneous items into his trunk. Charlie had given all three of them packs that were enchanted like Hagrid's coat pockets. Once Harry found everything, he began to sort through everything in his trunk. He did not want to take everything. School books would have to stay behind except for a couple of defense books. He was sure Hermione would pack a library. The first embarrassing but necessary essentials were thrown in followed by different supplies and a bag full of coins. He kept throwing item after item after item until he felt that he had enough stuff packed.

He then thought about his broom. They were able to Apparate but Harry did nto entirely enjoy the entire sensation of it. He did not know if the bags were enchanted enough to hold brooms. Harry decided that it was worth a try. He pulled his bag over his shoulder and noticed it still felt empty. He made his way out to the broom shed without any interruption. His Firebolt was leaning against a wall. He plopped his bag onto the ground and opened it. It looked full. The broom was then lowered into it. Harry played around with it watching it disappear into the much shorter bag and then reappear. It looked like a cheap magician's trick.

Harry spent the rest of the day helping Ron and Hermione pack their own bags while eating one of the rather large sandwichs that Mrs. Weasley had sent up to them. He actually did more eating than helping. Mrs. Weasley lived up to her word of feeding him before they left. After the sandwich, he had a relatively large number of treats that she sent up to them.

Ron and Hermione had called a silent truce for the time being which was more than enough for Harry. Gradually, they all began to discuss their next steps after they arrived at Privet Drive without the formalities of a peace treaty. Harry knew that his relatives would not be happy to see Ron especially after he and the his family bursted through the Dursley's fireplace. It would be an uphill battle once they appeared but Harry was sure they would not put up much of a fight since it was the last time they would have to put up with him. It was still strange for Harry to think of. He had no truly happy memories from living with them besides when he found out he was a wizard. However, they were still a large part of their lives. Everything that he went through stemmed from that house whether he wanted to admit it or not. He knew that even though they did not want to, they still took him in.

"It's almost time," Hermione said. There were several voices coming up the stairs towards Ron's room.

"Are you ready to face the masses?" Ron asked dryly. Harry watched him throw a few loose ends into his bag. "You have to do it eventually mate."

They heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Ginny opened the door to Ron's room and slipped in. "They're ready for you guys," Ginny said mostly to Ron and Hermione. "Almost everyone is here. Mum is trying to keep the water works down to a minimum but it is too early to tell how well she will do. Just a warning though, she is really touchy right now."

"Noted," Ron said. "Come on, birthday boy first."

"It's not my birthday," Harry grumbled. Ron grabbed him by the arm and literally threw him towards the door. "Rushing me is not going to make it so either."

"We know, just don't say that to Mrs. Weasley," Hermione sighed helping herd Harry down the stairs. "This has to be really hard on her. Her youngest son is leaving along with Harry. You are like another son to her."

"I wish she would adopt a sister instead," Ginny teased. She met Harry's eyes for a split moment and then quickly looked away. Ginny brushed a strand of red hair behind her ears. "Be prepared for a bit of crying though," she said more timidly. "You three are leaving all of us behind and we-I mean Mum and Dad are going to worry about you terribly."

Harry wanted to say "I love you" or "I will think of you every day" to maybe get another glance his way. He give her a hug or at least touch her for just a second. No, instead he was cornered by the twins and they threw a disgusting horned helmet on his head claiming him to be the grand captain of some ship. Ginny was whisked away into the multitude of faces as he was danced around and mocked by the twins. He now knew how Ron felt on a daily basis. The twins meant good humor and fun towards Harry though, unlike they way they treat Ron, however, it was still unsettling. Almost all of the Weasleys were present except for Percy and the newlyweds. He saw Hagrid's head sitting with Tonks and Kingsley. There was no sign of Remus anywhere. Remus had not been discussed since the night before during the wedding cleanup.

"Harry!" he heard everyone yelling at him. He felt like a true king for the night.

When Ron said his mother had planned him a party, he was not kidding. Harry did not think it possible for Ron's family to afford such a party. He then realized that the food tasted oddly familiar from the night before. Mrs. Weasley saved on the party by ordering just a bit extra for the reception. It did not bother Harry at all. He spent his holidays at the Burrow feeling guilty half the time knowing he was eating their food. He sometimes thought they spent more on him than anyone else in the family because how starved he usually was by the time he arrived from his relatives' home. There was one thing on his mind at the moment. He wanted to find out what happened to Remus. He did not see Remus anywhere and assumed that he would not be released yet. It had not even been 24 hours since the incident.

"Happy early birthday!" someone yelled at him in the sea of faces. Harry smiled in the general direction. He ducked and dodged in between people and furniture until he could get to Tonks. Her usually vibrant hair was back to a mousy brown shade. She was smiling and appeared to be having fun but her hair could not hide her true feelings. She was worried sick about him.

"Aye Harry, happy birthday to ya," Hagrid said merrily.

"Thanks Hagrid," Harry smiled. "How are you doing Tonks?"

"I'm fine," she smiled back at him from the other side of Hagrid. "How are you doing? Are you ready to head to your dreadful Muggle relatives' one last time?"

"How does everyone know this is my last time?"

"Word gets around quickly," Kingsley said. "Happy birthday Harry and congratulations on passing your exam, now if you will excuse me, I have a bit of business to take up with Alastor."

Kingsley stood to leave and was quickly followed by Hagrid. This left an umcomfortable chasm between Harry and Tonks. He had not really planned out what he was going to ask her but he kenw what he wanted to know. It was tact that he was missing. The commotion of the house was steadying.

"You're worried about Remus aren't you," Tonks more of less stated than asked.

"He has been on my mind during the day yes," Harry admitted. "I can tell he's on your mind as well."

"It's hard to hide," she confessed. Tonks took in a deep breath. "We took him on to Hogwarts. McGonagall did not want to draw attention to him by taking him to St. Mungo's since he is a werewolf. Madam Pomphrey took a look at him. There was nothing physically wrong with him. She said it was a mental breakdown, perhaps the result of the war. It is too hard to say right now. He slept the rest of the night with the aid of a potion and he's been confined to the hospital for a few days. I was with him earlier today and he seemed fine, just a bit tired and stressed."

"He freaked out when he saw my owl," Harry remembered. "Do you know why?"

"I'm sorry Harry but I have no idea. It could be anything really. Sirius died last year and then there was Dumbledore and Bill." She paused for a moment to collect her thoughts. "Sorry to bring the mood down though," she said trying to force a smile.

"It's ok," Harry said. "I passed my exam at least."

"Yes, I heard, congratulations," she replied.

Mrs. Weasley walked up to them. "Excuse me," she said politely. "Tonks, can you give me a hand with something in here?"

"Sure," Tonks waved to Harry and disappeared into the crowd.

The rest of the night was quite jovial for the predicament that it was held. It was more of a farewell party for the three of them than Harry's birthday party. All three of them received essentials for their trips. Moody was even to round up two invisibility cloaks for Ron and Hermione. By the end of the night they had accumilated a few dark arts instruments, some less than funny supplies from Fred and George, and loads of candy. They must have thought that they would not be fed while they were at the Dursley's. Hermione's parents also sent them some gifts. They gave them CB radios, batteries, and a lot more suitable food for traveling and camping along with a broom for Hermione. Mr. Weasley played with the radios for the rest of the night with the twins. All in all, it was a successful and sad party.

It was strange that they were being showered with gifts to help them along this dangerous path that they had decided to take. Mrs. Weasley muttered that they were sending babies to war a couple of times but no one really paid her any heed. Harry had griped and fought for years about being left in the dark. He was no longer being kept in the shadows. He was getting ready to walk through the darkest tunnel that he had ever known with his two best friends to flank him. Everyone was so weary of war that they were willing to try anything to end it. Harry was their chance. Dumbledore had set him upon a mission that he had only let two people know of. Everyone else knew he was going on out Dumbledore's instructions, but no one knew what he was doing. It was imperative to not tell anyone about it or word may slither to Voldemort's ear.

People filtered out slowly saying their good byes and good lucks with slightly puzzled faces. McGonagall, even after her probing on that fateful night, said her good byes with a small twinkle in her eyes. Harry noticed it. He never told her of what he and Dumbledore were doing the night he was killed and she responded harshly to it. Why did she look so knowing all of a sudden? Harry thought about it all night. He could barely sleep. The anticipation of the next day hounded him every moment. Thoughts of doubt lurched through his mind. It was impossible to put it aside. What would happen if he did fail?

"What happens?" Harry asked himself.

"I don't know but you need to get up."

Harry opened his eyes. The sun was creeping into Ron's room. He could tellRon was already dressed and was throwing a few last minute items into his bag through the blurriness. "When did you get up?" Harry asked slightly surprised.

"I've been up for awhile," Ron answered in a monotone voice. "Mum's already got breakfast on the table."

Harry pushed the covers up and fumbled around for his glasses. He could smell breakfast wofting into the room. He quickly pulled on his clothes and shoved a few last minute items into his bag as well. Hermione tapped on the door and tip toed in with her bag over her shoulder. She looked like she'd been awake for about as long as Harry. She helped them round up the last bits of their odds and ends and then they went and sat for breakfast with Ron's family before the war resumed once more.

Note: Sorry there was action. I'll try to pick it up a bit in the coming chapters.


	4. Chapter 4

The Dursley's house was rather calmer than Harry had expected. He had sent a message to them earlier to notify him that he was returning for one night and then he would be gone forever. There was no reply. He assumed that they understood they would be soon rid of him. The idea of this being his last trip to their house was exhilarating to him. He did understand that it was for his protection that he stood there but freedom rushed through his veins. It was strange that he felt freedom of all things when the protection that was placed on him was about to expire.

They arrived at the house early in the morning. His uncle was about to leave for work and Dudley had acquired a job at a local grocery store. Moody said a few words to his relatives and then was gone. Harry's uncle and cousin then quickly left and they were left alone with Petunia. Her face was unreadable. Her main concern that there would be a young woman staying in her house overnight and she had no real place to put her besides the couch or the cupboard where Harry used to stay. The decision was made that Hermione would take Harry's room and Harry and Ron would sleep in the living room. Once this was all decided she mumbled something about running a few errands and warned them not to disturb anything.

"That was troublesome," Ron muttered.

Harry nodded. He watched out the window as Petunia pulled out of the drive. Ms. Figg stood across the street and waved at Harry. He waved back to her and noticed a familiar tabby cat at her side. The whole world knew where he was.

"We better make a plan," Hermione said sitting down at the kitchen table with a piece of paper and a pencil. "When do you want to leave?"

Harry came over to the table and sat across from her. "I want to be out of here as soon as possible. Do not even unpacking anything. We are leaving first thing in the morning before they all get up."

"You don't want to say good bye?" Hermione asked.

"I have no reason to want to. They are nothing to me really. I was locked away in a cupboard for 10 years because they wanted to bet the magic out of me. They knew I would be a wizard but tried to prevent it."

"Ron, what are you looking at?" Hermione asked.

Ron was standing at the window where Harry stood. "I don't think you should have foxes here," he said.

"It's probably an Auror," Harry muttered. "McGonagall was sitting across the street with Ms. Figg when we arrived."

Ron didn't answer. He came over and sat next to Harry. "Why did we come here so early anyways if all we had to do was spend on night here?"

"So we could plan out our next step without your mother breaking into tears," Hermione mumbled.

Ron sat in silent agreement. They decided that they would try to find their way to Godrics Hollow before they did anything else. The problem would be finding it. None of them knew where it was and so it was impossible to Apparate there.

"We could try to contact Hagrid and see if we could use some threstrals," Hermione suggested.

"Do you really think he would help us do something as dangerous as we are about to without us explaining every aspect of it especially after Dumbledore died?" Ron commented dryly.

"We have to try," Hermione said.

"And while we are at it we might as well broadcast to everyone where we are going. I trust Hagrid with my life; do not doubt me when it comes to that. I just do not trust him with my secrets. He traded information on Fluffy for a dragon's egg."

"He didn't know it was Quirrel," Harry said sharply.

"Still, do you think he would help us? He's lost a large part of his life when Dumbledore died. He won't help us without some sort of explanation, and what are you intending to tell him? Are you intending to tell him everything that you've told everyone else? All you've told everyone is that you promised Dumbledore that you would finish something for him that he was unable to. Hagrid will want more."

"We will have to try," Harry said. He pulled a piece of parchment out of his bag and scribbled a quick note to Hagrid. Ron brought Hedwig over to him. "Do not leave without a response," Harry instructed her before he let her out of the back door. "That's settled. What's next?"

They spent the rest of the day planning out what they would do. Hermione insisted that she would have to do some more research on R.A.B. along with artifacts that may have been left behind by the founders. They decided this meant a trip to the Hogwarts library. Permission from McGonagall would be required but it would be handled once they were at Godrics Hollow. He figured it wouldn't be in too much use after the events on the towers.

"Everything appears to be settled up to a certain point," Hermione said looking at her notes. "All we have to do is get through tonight and then we'll be on our way."

Harry nodded. "It's time that we end this," he said.

Almost as he said that Petunia came in the door with a few grocery bags. She did not say anything to them. She quietly put the groceries away and started on some laundry. She carried the air of nervousness and tension as she stiffly moved through her chores. Harry tried to ignore her and set his mind towards the plan they were developing.

"I'm thirsty," Ron said. "I think I'll make some tea." He then proudly waved his wand and and set everything in motion for tea. It kind of reminded Harry of the days he spent in the Burrow watching Mrs. Weasley rule her domain. Her kitchen was at her every bidding with a flick of her wand. The household was her kingdom and it bowed to her every command. He knew she wished it was the same for her children.

"Thank you Ronald," Hermione said when he handed her a cup.

Ron poured a fourth cup and set it out on the edge of the counter next to the kitchen sink. The cup looked lonely as it waited for Petunia to take it. She hurried through the kitchen and stopped at the cup. Everyone looked up at her sudden stop. She looked at it not knowing what to do with it. The cup looked back at her as she looked at it. Eventually, she gingerly picked the cup up and took a small sip. Petunia let the tea sit in her mouth for a moment before she swallowed.

"Very good tea," she remarked and put the cup down. She then started other chores around the house.

They spent the rest of the day waiting for an owl. Hedwig returned very late in the evening. The reply was a simple "Will do." Harry thought of it as a good omen. He and his friends went to bed to only rise early the next morning. It was 3:00a when Harry woke everyone up. He wanted to leave quickly and secretly. There was no need to say his good byes to his relatives. They would probably welcome his absense forever. He and his friends quickly rummaged through the cabinets. There was a plate of sandwiches in the cold box with "Harry" written on an envelope. The envelope was heavy but there was no time. Harry quickly pushed it into his pocket and grabbed the sandwiches before they all ran out the door towards the park.

"Do you think they will be here this early?" Hermione asked when she looked around and saw only darkness.

"No," an unfamiliar voice said. There was a young woman swinging innocently on the swings. "I am afraid that your transportation has been canceled."

Harry drew his wand. "Who are you?"

"Friend," she answered. "Due to your paranoia and the entourage that you travel with I would presume that you are Harry Potter."

"That is true," he said amazed someone did not recognize him immediately.

"Very good," she said pleased. "I imagine all of you have brooms."

"We do," Harry answered for everyone.

"Then you better get them out. You will be following me for awhile."

"Under whose orders?" Harry contested.

"Does it really matter?" she answered. "I know about Dumbledore's plans and why you are running off into the darkness blindly. Let's just say I am a guide that the old man commissioned to help you if anythiing happened to him. Now we better hurry to beat the sunrise."

"Where are you taking us?" Hermione asked.

"To London Miss Granger, isn't that where your headquarters was stationed?"


End file.
